View clinical trials related to Major Depression.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to determine whether augmentation of antidepressant medication with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increases the speed and degree of improvement for patients with major depression
The purpose of this study is to determine whether omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are effective as a monotherapy for depression.
Major Depressive Disorder affects approximately 16% of the adult population over the lifetime. Controlled studies indicate that short-term antidepressive medications or psychotherapy produce full remission in only about 46% of patients. Furthermore, about 80% of patients will continue to have subsequent recurrences after remission of the first episode, with each episode increasing the probability of future recurrences. This pilot study will examine whether antidepressive medications plus one of three commonly available types of psychotherapy used in the short-term treatment of depression can protect against the recurrence of depression if active treatment is extended to 18-months duration. Results will aid designing a more complete study. Adults with an acute episode of major depressive disorder with at least one prior episode will be randomized to Antidepressive medications (ADM) plus 18-months of either Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or Dynamic psychotherapy (DYN), or to a standard control therapy, Supportive Clinical Management (SUP-CM). We will determine whether a higher percentage of those receiving either CBT or DYN remain well after three years of follow-up, compared to those receiving the standard control treatment. We will also examine the reduction in psychological risk factors as well as potential economic benefits of the three approaches.
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly have many gastrointestinal complaints. Gastrointestinal pain is classified into 2 categories: visceral and somatic pain. The main aim of this study is to compare somatic and visceral sensitivity between healthy people and pateints with MDD. These two sensitivities will be assessed by the 2 following tests: standardized rectal distension and Transdermal transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation. Thereafter, patients with MDD will be randomly allocated to escitalopram or reboxetine. After 6 weeks of treatment, somatic and visceral sensitivity will be reassessed.
The goals of this study are to replicate previous findings of genetic predictors of response to clozapine and other antipsychotic drugs.
We aim to determine why patients with depression are at an elevated risk for the development of coronary heart disease, and resolve whether the severity of a patient's depression has a counterpart in demonstrable abnormalities in brain chemistry. Studies will be completed in 28 patients with depression; both males and females. Patients will be studied both untreated and during administration of a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. They will be either newly diagnosed with depression, untreated patients suffering a recent relapse, or patients seeking to switch from a non-SSRI antidepressant due to non-response. The turnover of chemical messengers in the brain will be estimated by high internal jugular venous blood sampling and DNA will be isolated and examined from blood cells. Immune function will also be assessed. Whole body and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity will be determined, as well as microneurographic recording of muscle sympathetic nervous activity. It is hypothesised that patients with depression and no existing demonstrable cardiac disease demonstrate: Alterations in brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter turnover, resulting in sympathetic nervous activation and dysregulation of the baroreflex control to both the heart (vagal) and muscle vasoconstrictor sympathetic nerves; and Exhibit enhanced platelet reactivity predisposing them to thrombogenesis and myocardial ischaemia. Therapeutic intervention with an SSRI will modify cardiac sympathetic function, baroreflex sensitivity or platelet reactivity in a fashion likely to reduce cardiac risk.